Author Unknown

Many parents are hard pressed to explain to their youth why some music, movies, books and magazines are not acceptable material for them to bring into the home or to listen to or see.

One parent came up with an original idea that is hard to refute. The father listened to all the reasons his children gave for wanting to see a particular PG-13 movie. It had their favorite actors. Everyone else was seeing it. Even church members said it was great. It was rated PG-13 only because of the suggestion of sex-they never really showed it. The language was pretty good-the Lord's Name was used in vain only three times in the whole movie.

The teens did admit that there was a scene where a building and a number of people were blown up, but the violence was just the normal stuff. It wasn't too bad. And, even if there were a few minor things, the special effects were fabulous and the plot was action packed.

However, even with all the justifications the teens made for the '13' rating, the father still wouldn't give in. He didn't even give his children a satisfactory explanation for saying "No." He just said, "No!"

A little later that evening the father asked his teens if they would like some brownies he had baked. He explained that he had used the family's favorite recipe but added a little something new. The children asked what it was. The father calmly replied that he had added horse manure. However, he quickly assured them, it was only a little bit. All other ingredients were gourmet quality and he had taken great care to bake the brownies at the precise temperature for the exact time. He was sure the brownies would be superb.

Even with the father's promise that the brownies were of almost perfect quality, the teens would not take any. The father acted surprised. After all, it was only one small part that was causing them to be so stubborn. He was certain they would hardly notice it. Still, the teens held firm and would not try the brownies.

The father then told his children how the movie they wanted to see was just like the brownies. Satan tries to enter our minds and homes by deceiving us into believing that just a little bit of evil will not matter. But the truth is that even a little bit of manure makes the difference between a great treat and something disgusting and totally unacceptable.

Now when this father's children want to see something that is of questionable material, the father merely asks them if they would like some of his special horse manure brownies. That closes the subject.

Put the movie or the video or the television program that you want to see to this test.